Callum Ilott was fastest in practice as rain struck the competitors ahead of this weekends Pau Grand Prix, round three of the 2016 FIA European Formula 3 Championship.
The British teenager, racing for Van Amersfoort Racing, set a best time of 1m21.564s in the opening of the two forty-five minute sessions on Friday morning, and then backed that up with the fastest time of 1m22.000s in the second session.
Held in conditions that varied from wet to very wet, there were very few dramas, with most drivers getting in a good number of laps despite the trickiness of driving the tight, Armco-lined Pau circuit.
Ilott was the only driver in either session to dip below the 1m22s bracket, with Alessio Lorandi his closest challenger in the opening session, the Italian setting a time of 1m22.030s for Carlin, although he was forced to sit out the second session following an accident.
Hitech GP duo Ben Barnicoat and George Russell were third and fourth, making it three Brits inside the top four, with Mikkel Jensen fifth for Mücke Motorsport ahead of Motopark’s Niko Kari.
Ryan Tveter seventh for Carlin ahead of Prema Powerteam duo Lance Stroll and Nick Cassidy, while Anthoine Hubert completed the top ten for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Cassidy was second in the second session behind Ilott, setting a time of 1m22.293s, with Prema team-mates Ralf Aron and Stroll third and fourth ahead of Russell, Barnicoat and Tveter.
Jensen was eighth in this session ahead of Motopark’s Joel Eriksson, while Hubert once again completed the top ten.
It was a good couple of sessions for sixteen-year-old debutant David Beckmann, who is a welcome addition to the championship this weekend at Mücke Motorsport. After being forced to sit out the first two rounds due to his age, the German finally got on track in Pau, and was fifteenth in the opening session before moving up to twelfth in the second.
Pau Grand Prix Free Practice 1 Times
[table id=1055 /]
Pau Grand Prix Free Practice 2 Times
[table id=1056 /]
